First Meeting, Night Demon (Two-in-One)

After it was completely dark, Iver changed into his long-unworn Clerical Robe and solemnly lit three brand-new candles in his bedroom.

Before Iver was a silver basin on a table, filled with salt that Iver had sanctified during the day.

Yulia and Ligeia sat side by side on the edge of the bed, while Yanis peered into the room through the landscape painting hanging on the wall.

Iver closed his eyes for a long time, contemplating his emotions.

The sacred, faint candlelight shone on Iver. Behind him, a shadow was cast that twisted and writhed like a living thing.

"I beseech the candle keeper, the god of the Sacred Number three, the God of Thorns Binding the Body, the God of Burning Body Chasing Darkness..."

Iver murmured softly, repeatedly closing his eyes in prayer. "Please watch over the fire in my heart... watch over me as you would a candle in the corner..."

"I beseech the candle keeper, the god of the Sacred Number three..."

His seriousness made Yulia unconsciously tense up and her back straight.

She had always known that her brother possessed the ability to enhance the abilities of the Shadow Fiend and the Paradox Flame Butterfly through Self-Sacrifice.

But Iver never showed it to her.

There were many things that Iver hadn't shown Yulia. Some were to avoid worrying her, and others were to keep her from being exposed to anything too dangerous.

Yulia was fully aware of this, but she couldn't refute it. After all, it stemmed from Iver's care and affection for her, and the root cause was the persona she had constructed in front of Iver —in Iver's mind, Yulia was a weak girl who needed to be taken care of.

There are no unexpected events happening now, so Yulia can't just suddenly change her mind.

After three incantations, Iver plunged his hands into the salt basin in front of him, which had been consecrated with Blessing Art.

He scooped up the salt with both hands, spread his arms, and casually sprinkled it around.

Like sparks flying upwards, these pure white salt particles seemed to come alive, swirling and dancing everywhere.

They gradually began to shimmer—slowly, Stellaris- like glow illuminated the dimly lit bedroom.

The shoulder straps draped around Iver's neck moved without wind, twisting and fluttering like two slippery sea snakes.

He lowered his head, gently stroking the salt in the basin, and sighed softly, "My child, the meatless daughter I raised..."

"—Arise, return from the flesh of all things."

Salt symbolizes the flesh and blood of matter.

Upon hearing Iver's call, the Shadow Demon, who had lost consciousness and drifted into a dream, emerged from the shadows of the salt basin before him like a puppy being called by its master.

It was a blurry, indistinct shadow. It looked like mud, or perhaps a swamp.

As Iver gently stroked the water, the salt in the basin flowed on its own, making a sound like the ebb and flow of the tide.

"I am your totem, I am your father, I am your god."

Iver murmured, "You shall not touch my holiness, you shall not harm my body—"

"But when I die, you should grieve; but after the day I die, you should rejoice!"

As he spoke, Iver pulled a short gun from the shadow cast by the salt.

He raised the Salt Spear high, then plunged it deep into his abdomen!

Yulia shuddered in shock and nearly cried out.

But just then, a pair of cold hands reached out from behind her and covered her mouth.

"Don't be afraid, child," Yanis's voice whispered from behind her. "This is what sacrifice is like."

"... Does sacrifice necessarily have to involve harming oneself?!"

Yulia lowered her voice, speaking with a mixture of anxiety and fear, "Could something have gone wrong?"

"That's right."

Yanis said softly, "That's what ritual is. The essence of ritual is imitation, but its purpose is to transcend."

Ligeia was standing to the side, nodded in agreement.

Now, through learning, she has also deepened her understanding of the Path of Transcendence.

The white-haired dragon girl answered softly, "There exists a desire within the human heart, an unstoppable and unavoidable instinct to 'imitate.' It is the most essential thing about humanity, and it will be strengthened with the repetition of external voices."

"When we are still innocent children who know nothing and do not know what 'ourselves' are, we instinctively imitate people around us. We imitate their language, their expressions, and their every move. It is the compassion of the Serpent Father that allows people to transcend the animalistic path of love."

"—And so, we transformed from beasts into humans."

On the other side, after Iver pierced through with the salt spear, blood began to flow out of his Clerical Robe, seeping into the ground at an extremely slow pace.

The shadows in the salt pond instantly began to boil violently.

It was as if some kind of reagent had been added—that's what Yulia thought.

And Iver is still chanting the secret words above the Shepherd's Secret Covenant:

"You shall celebrate my death, you shall sing my holy song. You shall hold a celebration, you shall raise your scepter high."

As he spoke, Iver took a second Salt Spear from the salt pool.

He tilted his head slightly and plunged the Salt Spear directly into his collarbone from the side of his neck!

The intense pain caused Iver's pupils to constrict and then relax, and his lips trembled violently.

He coughed, spitting out pink foam.

A dark red stream of blood gushed from his neck and seeped into his pure white Clerical Robe.

A faint aura of Blood Energy instantly shot out in all directions in spherical shapes, causing the candlelight around Iver to dim slightly, reflecting a dark red blood light.

On the other side, Ligeia was still speaking softly, "Some children are too good at imitating, too focused on those commands to 'imitate me,' and eagerly follow the shadows cast by the light. So they become 'good children,' 'smart children'... but what they are imitating is not the holy and flawless icon, but people with bad tendencies."

"So this incompleteness will also be reflected in imitation. Eventually, they will encounter problems that cannot be solved by simply imitating the people around them - and the more enthusiastic a child is in imitating, the more intense the stimulus they will feel when they first encounter a setback."

"Young children have no right to refuse adults. Therefore, every 'no' uttered by those who give the order to 'imitate me' is thunderous, insurmountable, and undeniable."

"The inevitable failures encountered in the process of imitation will only strengthen the desire to imitate. This cycle repeats itself, leading to a deep abyss of being manipulated."

"In this process, if the seeds of evil take root in their hearts, they will want to escape this cycle. This desire is 'transcendence,' and the seed is 'degeneration,' 'change,' and 'violence.' And this violence is also an extension of authoritarianism."

"—Among the many acts of transcendence, the essence of 'sacrifice' is violence."

Ligeia spoke softly, as if she were reminiscing about someone or remembering a loved one.

Yulia looked at her as if she were another person emanating from her.

That was another person who had once shared this knowledge of "the secrets of sacrifice" with Ligeia... or rather, with Meg. A person who belonged to the Path of Transcendence.

"Whether out of fear of drought, a desire for longevity, a search for a scapegoat, a wish for a peaceful death, a pursuit of victory in war, or the intoxication of revelry... ancient humans around the world, without exception, ultimately chose 'sacrifice.' Whether the sacrifice was human or animal, it was a form of collective violence, a violence that was accepted by the group."

"The essence of ritual is imitation, while the essence of sacrifice is violence. Imitation is proof of humanity's status as the Son of the Serpent Father, while sacrifice is the depraved instinct of desire ingrained deep within the human soul."

Ligeia paused slightly at this point, her fingers unconsciously clenching.

She said softly, "Those who Path of Transcendence of immortality often have this self-destructive tendency. They see themselves as vessels, and vessels are a kind of shackle. Those who seek transcendence will eventually have the desire to break those shackles."

"They will harm themselves for their goals... not out of greed, but for the goals themselves."

"... I once knew a transcendent being who Path of Transcendence. He Self-Sacrifice before a battle that was almost certain to kill him. At that point, even if he won, he would not return, so it could not be considered a sacrifice for survival; they were unlikely to win, so it was not for success; no one cared about their deaths, so it was not for honor."

"I've thought about it for a long time, why they do this... It wasn't until recently that I realized that the purpose itself is the purpose, and the extension of desire is still desire. That's how those Transcender."

As Iver raised the third Salt Spear, the shadows in the salt basin fell silent instantly. Ligeia's voice became hoarse.

Yulia suddenly turned around and noticed that Ligeia's pupils were shining with a bright purple light.

Witnessing such a transcendent ritual, a resonance arose between the Path of Transcendence. Just as an artist feels beauty when appreciating the work of others, Ligeia's originally stable physical state was also disrupted by the resonance of this pastoral ritual.

Her dragon scales creaked, and worms seemed to crawl beneath her flesh. She was growing slowly at a visible rate.

And Iver's deep, hoarse voice still echoed in the bedroom:

Who will be sacrificed? What will come to an end? What words will be passed down through the ages?

"—I offer you my hymn of sacrifice! My love, my child, my flesh, my heir, my altar, obey my command—"

The salt grains suspended in the air transformed into a dazzling array of Stellaris, making Iver feel as if he were standing in the Milky Way.

He raised the Salt Spear and aimed it at his heart.

At this moment, the shadow beneath Iver and the shadow in the silver basin before him had completely subsided, revealing an eerie tranquility.

Yulia clenched her fists and tried to rush forward, but Ligeia grabbed her arm.

She turned around almost angrily, only to see Ligeia's face cracked like shattered porcelain, blood seeping out. She now appeared about four or five years older than before, looking the same age as Yulia. Ligeia's eyes gleamed with an eerie purple light, but her face remained expressionless.

—Simply listening to the secret teachings of the Shepherd's Secret Covenant caused her body to begin to grow.

Ligeia felt an intense thirst—a thirst that came from Iver, who stood before the salt basin, his body soaked in blood.

But her incredibly strong rationality easily suppressed this desire, and incidentally suppressed Yulia as well.

Iver looked down at Shadow Fiend with pity and whispered, "I offer you..."

"—My death in an instant."

As Iver's voice faded, the shadowy Salt Spear pierced Iver's heart like a stake that had killed the Child of the Moon.

It wasn't just a simple wound that pierced the heart... that kind of injury wouldn't be instantly fatal for Iver now.

This is a self-sacrifice, a sacred ritual, a pure offering.

Iver offered himself entirely to his demon as a sacrifice on the altar—

In an instant, Iver's pupils dimmed.

Just like when he was on the giant's Magic Cauldron, his heart was pierced by the Shadow Fiend.

All his life force vanished in an instant.

Iver died instantly, his body collapsing limply backward. The shadows that bound the Salt Spear seemed to come alive, seeping from the three wounds and enveloping Iver completely.

He fell into the egg of shadows. Countless shadows, like a spider web, spread everywhere, extinguishing the three candles offered to the candle keeper. Then these shadows turned crimson, bathing the entire room in a terrifying blood red.

Unlike before, it was not merely a sacrifice of blood and magic. Instead, it involved offering one's entire life, soul, and will.

If the Shadow Fiend does not respond, it is tantamount to a completely selfless sacrifice without asking for anything in return.

Iver will die. His life and his soul will become part of the Shadow Fiend.

"...Why."

However, Shadow Fiend sighed.

This wasn't the Assassin Miss's sweet voice, nor was it "Beard's" cold and intellectual mature voice. Instead, it was a completely new voice, ethereal and husky, like a whispered dream:

"I am willing to give up everything in exchange for my master's return from the void."

That was the final step in the Shepherding Method.

Shepherding must be selfless, and therefore no reward should be sought.

In other words, one must never restrict the other party from "repaying kindness" in any way.

A sacrifice that includes everything—the contract, life, and soul—is the most selfless sacrifice. It is an extremely risky act of transcendence.

Only by responding to the other party can everything that has been given be returned.

In an instant, the shadow egg vanished as if time had reversed.

After Shadow Fiend returned the sacrifice of Iver, still covered in blood, a weakened Iver emerged from within. Despite the pierced heart wound and his waning life force, he was still alive.

But behind him stood another unfamiliar figure.

She hugged Iver from behind to keep him from falling to the ground.

The demon had the upper body of a human, and its appearance resembled both Bayard and Iver. Its chilling, crimson wolf eyes instilled intense fear in all who beheld it.

Her long, flowing black hair cascaded down to mid-thigh and was now flying wildly behind her. From her back sprouted a pair of ethereal, shadowy black wings, their silhouette resembling the wings of a raven.

She was completely naked, with invisible shadows swirling around her vital areas. From her cheeks to her waist were eerie yet strangely alluring dark red welts. Below her waist was an amorphous, gaseous body spewing black smoke. Her arms, from the elbows down, were completely matte, jet-black, and translucent. The claws looked ferocious, yet they hadn't harmed Iver in the slightest when he was held in their grasp.

When she appeared, the entire room was filled with the color of blood.

That is the Night Demon, Greater Demon that will bring Blood Night when it appears.

As Greater Demon wields the power of the Path of Love, it also controls the power of shadow, blood, and curses.

Legend has it that the Night Demon will grant the desires of the envious, give them power, and tempt them to seek revenge.

Those who make deals with the Night Demon share a common characteristic: they lose their shadows during the day. After nightfall, their shadows control their bodies, making them do things they wouldn't dare do otherwise.

After the deal is completed, the Night Demon will drain the other party's blood and soul in a Blood Night. In the end, only people will remember the arrival of the Blood Night, but no one will remember that a certain person ever existed.

In many places, it is worshipped as a "Blood God" by the ignorant.

Night Stalker is not on Shadow Fiend's evolution tree at all.

This is one of the highest-ranking demons derived from the Brand of Jealousy, whose status and power are equivalent to the Punishment Demon.

Night Demons are the "executors" who help the Fallen Angel harvest the souls of sinners, and also the "debt collectors" for those who made promises to the Fallen Angel but then arrogantly Breach of Covenant.

Night Demon stared coldly at Yulia, her scarlet, malicious pupils filled with undisguised, almost insane jealousy.

That gaze was enough to frighten anyone, but Yulia only paused for a moment before her gaze suddenly turned icy cold.

"Shadow Demon... no, I should call you Night Demon now."

A weak voice came from Iver.

Seeing that Iver had regained consciousness, the Night Demon immediately handed him the Iver.

Iver lit the candle and gripped the flame tightly. The ritual of fire began to continuously heal Iver's wounds, and his body slowly began to recover.

He raised his head from the Night Demon's embrace and met the Night Demon's gaze, which was at least two meters tall after it floated up.

"Long time no see, Shadow Fiend."

He smiled and said softly, "Nice to meet you, Night Demon. How should I address you?"

"...Call me Bayard...no, just call me Viennes."

That ethereal yet hoarse, echoing voice came from behind Iver: "Viennes Emil Zola Bayard... that was my name, my master."

Unlike when she was the Shadow Fiend, she openly acknowledged her past.

Having devoured her entire "self," this is now her most complete form.

Iver's lips curled up slightly.

"It's a shame you can't turn into a snake, a dog, Little Cat anymore..."

Iver said softly, "Then I'll call you Little Bird, okay?"

"My loyal, loving Little Crow... who brought my life and soul back?"

As Iver's voice fell, Viennes behind him dissipated into a wisp of smoke, transforming into a shadowy raven with scarlet pupils, which quietly perched on Iver's shoulder.

"As you wish, my master."

She spoke softly, like an elegant young lady.

The combined chapter has finally arrived!

Oh my god, the temperature has dropped so badly lately. I slept for more than five hours yesterday, and this morning I suddenly got a leg cramp in bed. It was a violent cramp without me even kicking my legs, and it woke me up...

Because I hadn't slept enough, I took a nap after breakfast. When I woke up, it was almost six o'clock. My sleep schedule is completely messed up (sad).

The good news is that we're finally eating three meals a day again. The bad news is that we haven't had our third meal yet.

Eating decreased from 3 to 2, and sleeping decreased from 3 to 1.